


the absence of loneliness

by eg1701



Series: 90s reddie for the soul [3]
Category: IT (1990)
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Late Night Conversations, Little plot, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Pet Names, Soft Richie Tozier, mostly soft, very minor angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24989533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eg1701/pseuds/eg1701
Summary: It's hard to no longer be alone, when you've been alone for so long. Richie and Eddie both come to that conclusion one late night.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: 90s reddie for the soul [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800730
Comments: 6
Kudos: 89





	the absence of loneliness

**Author's Note:**

> *bernie sanders voice* i am once again projecting onto richie tozier. 
> 
> they just, they get to me y'all.

It was too cold to be out this late without a jacket on, Richie thought, glancing up at the sky. That was Eddie talking in his head really, a thought which made him smile a bit in the dark. The moon was full tonight he noticed, when he looked up.  


No wonder it was so bright out at this time of night. It had been odd, to step into dim light instead of darkness. He tore his eyes away from the moon and folded his hands on the railing, glancing around as he did. The neighborhood was quiet this time of night and Richie looked up again.  


(Richie was briefly reminded of a certain teenage werewolf at the sight of the bright moon. He shook the thought off as quickly as it had crept up. That was not a road he wanted to go down tonight. Or rather, it was one he couldn’t afford to go down tonight.)  


He’d promised Eddie he’d be along soon when Eddie had finally given up and gone to bed, but that was close to an hour ago now, and Eddie was probably wondering if he’d fallen asleep on the sofa. He was pretty sure he left the TV on the late night western he’d been watching before deciding he needed fresh air.  


As if on cue, he heard the back door open and close. He didn’t have to look to know who it was. He wondered how long Eddie had thought to give him before he went hunting through the house.  


“Richie honey,” Eddie said softly, “What’s wrong?”  


Eddie had taken to calling him that. Richie was fairly certain that Eddie wasn’t even aware he’d started doing it, but it was so, well, so romantic, that he sometimes thought he had to have misheard him.  


The very first time he’d said, it, Richie had been called into the kitchen to get something from the top shelf. He had made several jokes about Eddie’s height, but done as asked, handing off the new bottle of laundry detergent. It had been so mundane. Laundry detergent.  


“Thank you honey,” Eddie had said casually. He had kissed his cheek and gone off to finish the laundry, leaving Richie standing, slightly stunned, processing the last thirty seconds.  


People didn’t call him things like that, not something so… loving.  


It had to have been a one time thing.  


But Eddie had kept it up, using the term interchangeably with his name. Richie had finally asked him, several weeks later, when they were having a quiet dinner at home.  


“Do you not like it?” Eddie asked suddenly, frowning, “I can stop if you don’t.”  


Richie put up a hand to stop him, “I like it just fine. I just wondered what made you pick it.”  


Eddie considered it, poking at his dinner for a moment, “I just think it fits you well. You’re sweet and kind of a sap.”  


Richie was fairly certain he had started blushing, and then taken a very long sip of wine.  


“I don't think you usually put honey in your spaghetti,” he said, when he had regained himself. Eddie had taken a moment and then thrown his napkin across the table at him and told him to keep his filthy mouth shut at the dinner table, although Richie caught him laughing about it after.  


“Nothing Eds,” he replied, coming back to the present, impressed at the lightness of his tone. Twenty or so years of faking it in front of the camera and an unforgiving audience helped with that, “Just wanted some fresh air.”  


“It’s freezing out. You’re going to catch a cold.”  


He chuckled under his breath at how accurate he’d been earlier, “Yeah.”  


“Here,” Eddie came to his side and held out a lump of fabric, which, after a moment, Richie realized was a sweater, “If you’re going to stay out here you might as well be warmer.”  


“Thanks Eds,” Richie said thickly. He slid the sweater over his head, and sighed.  


“You know you don’t have to be alone anymore Rich.”  


Richie didn’t reply. Eddie didn’t expect him to.  


“I’m not very good company tonight am I.” He had meant it to be a question, but he didn’t need to ask it. He knew it was true.  


Eddie made a soft and thoughtful noise that Richie couldn’t decipher, and shook his head. He put his hands lightly on the railing and looked up at Richie, 

“You don’t owe me good company. I’m not a live studio audience.”  


Richie stayed quiet for a moment, taking in Eddie in the moonlight. Flannel pajama bottoms and one of Richie’s sweaters was an interesting look, one he’d have never been caught dead in during the day, but one that had a certain _softness_ to it that Richie was overcome by a surge of fondness and affection so strong it was almost too much to handle at that moment.  


“I’m not sure what’s wrong,” Richie admitted, finally answering Eddie’s original question.  


“Well that’s alright,” Eddie said after a moment of consideration, “I’ll be here when you figure it out. I get what you mean. Sometimes I get so worried about stuff too. Actually most of the time I get worried. About you, about the others. About stuff I know I don’t have to be worried about but I can’t help it.”  


Eddie was trying to reassure him, to make him realize that it wasn’t just him. Richie knew that, but didn’t comment.  


“But what I’m trying to say,” Eddie said, gently taking one of Richie’s hands in both of his, “Is that I think we were both alone for a long time and it’s hard to not be alone anymore. It’s hard to share your life and everything that goes along with it when you’re used to keeping it hidden away. I mean, I might have lived with my mother, but I was alone Rich, and so were you. We have to, like, learn how not to be.”  


“Well when did you get so wise?” Richie asked teasingly, “You been like that this whole time?”  


“I watch a lot of talk shows when you’re not home,” Eddie replied without missing a beat, “They’re always having people on talking about this and that. Most of the time it’s just about fad diets, family drama, and celebrities behaving badly, but sometimes something sticks.”  


“I guess you’re right,” Richie said.  


“I’m pretty sure I am,” Eddie replied, “And listen, to be honest Rich, we’ve had bad stuff happen. Stuff you only see in horror movies, that nobody should have had to see in real life. I mean, that’s gotta mess us up.”  


“What you’re telling me you didn’t fight a killer clown-- twice-- and come out of it just fine and dandy? I think I might do it again, just for kicks. Get the crew back together once more.”  


Eddie rolled his eyes, “You’re an idiot Richie.”  


“Ah but Eds my love, I am your idiot.”  


Eddie sighed, “Evidently so. Are you going to be alright?”  


“I’ll be fine,” Richie said, nodding, “Don’t worry.”  


Eddie brushed a thumb across his cheek, “I do worry about you. A lot actually. More than I probably let on. You’re always doing dumb stuff. You’re going to give me a heart attack.”  


“So that’s a no on hearing about the time I got drunk and almost fell off a yacht at a party?”  


“ _No_ ,” Eddie shook his head, “I do _not_ want to hear that.”  


Richie sighed, “Fine. Another time I suppose.”  


“It’ll be in the papers,” Eddie said, pulling Richie along towards the door. Richie let himself be led, “B list actor Richie Tozier’s performance finally kills.”  


“You wound me Eds,” Richie said, although he couldn't stop from laughing, “B list? That’s the harshest criticism I’ve ever gotten.”  


“Really? That’s the harshest?”  


“It hurts more when it comes from someone you love.”  


They were inside now, and Eddie locked the door behind him with his free hand. There was the hum of the refrigerator in the dark room, and not much else. The sounds from outside had been cut off when Eddie shut the door.  


“Your face is cold,” Eddie said, putting his own hands on Richie’s face, then bringing it down to kiss him, “Come to bed now?”  


“Mm,” Richie agreed, suddenly realizing how tired he was.  


“Is that a yes?”  


Richie chuckled under his breath, “Yeah. Let’s go to bed.”  


Eddie smiled, “Good.”  


“Eds?”  


“Yes?”  


“I like being with you more than I liked being alone.”  


“Yeah,” Eddie said quietly, giving Richie’s hand a squeeze, “Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed. you can always find me at feuillytheflorist on tumblr.


End file.
